Long Time Coming
by backstagespotlight
Summary: Who is Jet Jennings? What does he have to do with the murder of an ex-Marine? Why is Gibbs' team in New Mexico? And, most importantly, where does Gibbs keep disappearing to? Slight X-over to In Plain Sight. Don't own anything. I know it's been done, a lot
1. Chapter 1

It was too hot to be September. Tony sat in a stuffy office in Albuquerque, New Mexico, studying the case file of a dead Marine who it seemed Gibbs knew. Ziva, who was not used to working in such close confines, paced like a caged tiger, while McGee tried, yet again, to access the colonel's phone records on the ancient computer. A suspect was fidgeting in the small interrogation room behind the team. Gibbs was no where to be found.

--

The sounds of the day care center echoed around him as he stepped in the front door. He showed his ID and swiped his pass card to enter the second set of glass doors.

"Hello, Jet," one of the teachers said, approaching him, "Are you here for Gabriella?" He nodded, asking himself why he would have any other purpose for his visit.

"They're outside right now," the teacher said. Jet thanked her and headed back to the door he knew led to the playground. He paused to watch the group of three and four year olds as they scampered around the play equipment. One little girl looked up from where she was playing cops and robbers and her face lit up. She ran to him, her brown pigtails flying.

"Daddy!" she cried excitedly. Jet knelt down and she rushed to wrap her little arms around his neck. He lifted her up and swung her around enjoying her laughter. She laughed just like her mother did.

"How are you, Gibby?" he asked, settling the three year old comfortably in his arms.

"A lot better now that you're here," she said, with a smile, "Why are you here?"

"Well," he said, knowing full well that she'd most likely already guessed his purpose, "Somebody told me you wanted to see some new-fangled dog movie. And since I was down here I thought that I should spend some time with my special girl."

"Can we get popcorn at the movie?" Gabriella asked, excited.

"I might even let you get candy I you promise not to tell your mother," he whispered conspiratorially in her ear. He set her feet on the ground and patted her back.

"Grab your gear," he told her with a smile. She ran off to do just that. He caught the teacher's eye and pointed, receiving an affirming nod. Gabriella came running back to him and nearly dragged him out the door.

Jet borrowed a car seat from the center under a prearranged agreement. They drove to the movie theater and purchased tickets, popcorn and gummi bears. Jet patiently sat through the whole ridiculous movie, which Gabriella loved. She danced around him as they left the theater, chattering about the movie and repeating her favorite lines. Jet reached for her hand as they entered the parking lot. A glance at his watch told him that if he didn't get his little girl back to the daycare center her mother would start to worry.

"Daddy," Gabriella piped up from the back seat, "Did you remember my ribbons?" It was a tradition between the two of them that each time Jet showed up unexpectedly, he brought her a pair of hair ribbons to wear on her braids. He pulled today's from his pocket and handed them back to her with a half smile. They were white with red and blue stars of various sizes on them.

"Daddy, they're beautiful!" she cooed. His smile expanded. The ribbons were also a way to let Lynn, Gabriella's mother, know that he'd been in town if he didn't have time to see her. Of course, now that Gabby could talk, the silent communication wouldn't have been necessary. But these ribbons held a deeper meaning. These were the chosen signal that told her to lay really low. Caitlin would know what they meant.

He left his daughter at the classroom door with a gentle pat on the back, and watched as she scurried off toward one of her friends. He watched her play for a few minutes before turning and heading out to the car. A few deep breaths and a sip of coffee later and Jet Jennings faded into the background, allowing Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs to emerge.

And Gibbs had an interrogation to perform.


	2. Chapter 2

"He didn't do it," Tony groaned.

"You think, Dinozzo?" Gibbs asked, "Why didn't you check his alibi before you wasted time having me go in there?"

"Well, Boss, we thought-" Tony began but wisely stopped. Ziva did not show the same discretion.

"We were not certain you would want us to question him. And we could not ask you because you were not here and you were not answering your cell phone," the Mossad officer ranted. Gibbs stepped back as she encroached into his personal space. Suddenly, his cell phone vibrated. He held up a hand to stop Ziva and answered the call.

"Gibbs," he said, his voice surprisingly soft. The conversation was short, and mostly consisted of Gibbs listening while the other person talked.

"I'll try," he said after a while, "Talk to you later. You too. Bye." Tony, Ziva and Mcgee all stared silently at him, waiting for an explanation.

"What are you sitting around for?" Gibbs asked sharply, "Go find me a suspect."

--

Tony sat down in the living room of the dead Marine. The man's wife settled into the chair across from him.

"Mrs. Byers, thanks for meeting with me again. I just have a few more questions about your husband. Is there anyone at all who has made you feel uneasy over the past few weeks? Someone who could have hurt your husband?" The young widow thought hard as tears trailed down her cheeks. She pinched the bridge of her nose.

"We're all so close. I mean, you don't find a lot of Marines in New Mexico. And we just moved here three months ago, so we don't really have any other friends in the area. There is one guy who seems a little strange, I didn't meet him until nearly two months after we moved here. His wife and little girl are so sweet, but he does some work for the Navy that keeps him moving. He hardly ever gets any time with his family. But there's something about him that makes me nervous."

"What is his name?" Tony asked, paper at the ready.

"Jennings," she said, "Jet Jennings."

--

Ziva rang the doorbell of a nice, two story house in a good neighborhood. She was alone, as Tony and McGee were out interviewing the victim's coworkers and Gibbs had taken a call from the Director.

"Did you forget your keys?" The door opened to reveal a petite brunette. The smile disappeared when she saw who was on the other side.

"Hello," Ziva said, badge raised, "I'm Officer Ziva David with NCIS. I was hoping we could talk." The door opened further, allowing Ziva to enter.

"I'm Caitlin Jennings," the woman said, extending her hand in greeting. Ziva took it and was pleased to see that the woman wasn't nervous. She took in her surroundings. She was standing in a warm, welcoming living room that was neat, with a piano on one wall and a sectional sofa along the other two.

"Have a seat," Caitlin said, indicating the sofa, "I'm just going to go put a video in for my daughter so she won't interrupt us." Ziva nodded.

"Can I get you anything to drink when I come back?" Caitlin asked.

"No, thank you," Ziva answered. Caitlin disappeared into the back of the house, leaving Ziva to study the photographs that stood on the bookcases. Almost all of them were of a little girl with brown hair and bright blue eyes. There were one or two of Caitlin with the girl, but no pictures of a father figure. Ziva lingered on one picture that had been taken on the edge of the Grand Canyon. The child stood, pointing out across the expanse, while Caitlin knelt beside her, wind whipping her hair away from her face, smiling adoringly at her daughter.

"That was one of the few family vacations we've been able to take with Jet," Caitlin said, startling Ziva. She turned to find the woman holding out a glass of water.

"I know you said you didn't want anything, but you looked thirsty." The two settled onto the sofa.

"What exactly does your husband do, Mrs. Jennings?" Ziva asked.

"Call me Lynn," she answered, "Jet does this and that as a civilian contractor for the Navy." Ziva frowned at the ambivalence of her answer. Lynn chuckled.

"As I say that, it sounds incredibly vague. The truth is that I really don't know what exactly he does all the time. He doesn't like to share about his work and I'd rather not hear about it. We get little enough time with him as it is." Lynn seemed apologetic that she couldn't provide more help.

"I am sure you have heard about the death of Greg Byers," Ziva continued, "Where was your husband that night?" Lynn looked shocked and slightly amused at the idea.

"Last Tuesday, right?" she asked, "Jet was in Washington D.C. at work."

"You live in New Mexico, but your husband works in D.C.?" Ziva asked. Lynn smiled wistfully.

"Jet kept trying to be reassigned, but there's not exactly demand for a Navy contractor down here. I have a job and a life here. We're making it work."

"When was the last time you spoke to your husband?"

"Earlier this afternoon," Lynn said without hesitating, "He said he would try to make it home for dinner. I was actually expecting him when you got here."

"That explains the key comment," Ziva remarked. Both women laughed comfortably.

"What's it like working at NCIS?" Lynn asked. Ziva was surprised by the question. She thought for a moment.

"It's more interesting than my last job," Ziva said. She thought again before continuing. "It took some time to find my balance and my place. Especially, with my co-workers being who they are." Again, Ziva thought she saw a hint of a wistful smile flit across Lynn's face.

"What do you mean?" Lynn asked, "Sorry if I'm overly curious. I don't get a whole lot of adult conversation." The question was clear in Ziva's eyes.

"I teach first grade at the Catholic school down the road. My daughter's three years old and I only talk to my husband three or so times a week. I wouldn't trade this life for anything, but it does get lonely." The two women laughed together. Ziva regaled her with tales of some of Tony's adventures especially the pranks he enjoyed playing on McGee. After about half an hour, the little girl from the photos wandered into the room and tugged on Caitlin's arm.

"Momma, we have to make Daddy garlic bread to go with the bisquetti!" she exclaimed. Caitlin laughed.

"Spaghetti, Gi-ggles, and remember, Daddy might not be coming. He said he'd try," Caitlin's tone was gentle, but the little girl was insistent. Caitlin smiled apologetically at Ziva who rose from the couch and saw herself out.

"Thank you," Caitlin said as she was dragged toward the kitchen.

Ziva walked across the front lawn and out to her car. She drove away, not seeing the black sedan that pulled up behind her, nor the silver-haired man who got out of it.

Gibbs strode into the house and found his girls in the kitchen. He lifted Gabriella up and kissed her before pulling Caitlin into his embrace. He felt tears begin to soak through his shirt and looked down at his wife, concerned.

"What's wrong, Katie?" he asked. She shook her head, indicating that they'd talk later. So he just cradled her head to his neck, hiding the tears from their daughter until she got them under control. After a few moments and a pair of shuddering breaths she pulled back and continued the meal prep. Gabriella helped her father set the table, chattering away about everything she hadn't told him earlier. The spaghetti was eaten between bouts of the same excited chatter. Throughout the meal, Gibbs kept a hand on Caitlin's knee when he could. He recognized homesickness when he saw it. He'd seen it enough during the first few months after he'd found her. It had taken almost six months of sneaking and calling in every favor he'd ever been owed, but he had found out where his wife had been relocated to. He still remembered the moment that search had begun.

--

_FOUR YEARS EARLIER_

_Jethro Gibbs studied every detail of the folder in which the autopsy report was housed. He finally took a deep breath and flipped it open. Tears pooled in his eyes as he read the report, but he refused to let them fall. He skimmed over the personal identity details, her name, Caitlin Elise Todd, her age, her height, weight and hair color. He smiled at the listing of distinguishing body marks as it listed the tattoo Tony had bugged her about. It was a military star on her right hip, directly underneath her gun holster. Ducky also noted a pen mark on her right ankle. The word "Gibby" scrawled in blue ink._

_His head began to ache as he read on further. He came to the section labeled "Non-fatal Medical Conditions" and scanned it. Ducky had made no notation about Kate's recent pregnancy and subsequent miscarriage. Gibbs had been working on this job long enough to know that those signs were present several weeks after the miscarriage and it had been only a week since Caitlin had lost their baby. She hadn't had a doctor's appointment yet, as each time they'd tried something came up. He reached for the phone._

_"Autopsy," answered the Scottish medical examiner._

_"What's with the incomplete autopsy, Duck?" Gibbs asked, angrily._

_"I never do anything less than a thorough examination of every patient who lies on one of my tables," Ducky said, defensively._

_"Before today I thought that," Gibbs said, "But I've just looked over- over." He couldn't go on._

_"Jethro, I know which report you're reading, and I assure you that Caitlin's autopsy was one of the most thorough I've performed in years."_

_"Don't lie to me, Ducky!"Gibbs yelled before he slammed down the phone. He buried his head in his hands and reached for the photo he kept in his drawer. It was of Kate, in full gear, her hair blowing in the wind. Her face was set, determined and staring out above and to the left of the camera. He popped open the back of the frame and retrieved the photo behind the front one. This one was a sonogram photo with Kate's name at the top. He flipped it over and read Kate's flowing script, _"Gibby, our biggest little secret."_ Secret. So much of their lives had been made of secrets. Secret dates, secret glances, secret code words._

_Code words. Gibby._

_Caitlin was alive!_

_--_

"Can we, Daddy?" Gibby's hopeful voice broke him out of his memories. He smiled at his daughter. Kate laughed at his expression.

"I think Daddy was dreaming with his eyes open again. Ask him again," she said gently.

"Can we go out for ice cream?" she asked.

"Probably, if you finish your broccoli," Gibbs said, pointing to the only untouched food on her plate. Dutifully, she stabbed the offending object and forced it past her lips with great dramatic flair. Gibbs smiled and shook his head; she really took after her mother. He noticed Kate hadn't served herself much more broccoli than the four pieces she'd dished onto Gibby's plate. They also remained, untouched.

"And if Mommy finishes hers," Gibbs added with a smirk. Kate glared at him.

"What if I told you the baby doesn't like broccoli?" she asked, resting a hand on her barely noticeable bump.

"I'd say you're lying," Gibbs said, "If the baby didn't want broccoli, none of us would be eating it." Kate reached out and covered Gibby's eyes before playfully sticking her tongue out at her husband. She speared a piece of broccoli and ate it obediently. Dinner continued, and just as Gibby choked down her last piece of broccoli, Gibbs' phone rang.

"Yeah, Gibbs," he answered.

"Boss, there's been another attack."

--

_So, I'm sorry I made you wait. I'm trying to spend this precious month with the family I won't see again until this summer. I also have been trying (and failing) to finish several stories at once. (My most loyal fans will realize that it has been a very long time since __The Story Beneath the Boy__ was updated, that __Welcome Home, Marine__ is holding everyone in Limbo, we still don't know what's been bugging Mattie in __The Lake House__, and that __Sent Home From School__ still has Fina without her milkshake and has left Vinnie unpunished. Did I miss anything in my shameless plug for my unfinished stories?) Anyway, hope you enjoyed this update._


	3. Chapter 3

"Jet, you need to stop and think about the repercussions of this," Lynn insisted, as her husband dashed around the house, filling a duffel bag with clothes, toiletries and other items. She'd sent Gabriella to straighten up the play room while she tried to reason with her husband.

"If we do this, I'm out of the program. So is Gibby, and the new baby, too." She forced him to look her in the eyes. "We're safe here."

"He attacked Madeline Carter in her house this afternoon," he said, finally revealing the contents of his phone call. Lynn paled and moved to sit down. Jet reached out a hand and took her elbow, easing her into the chair.

"Tony said she's going to live," he reassured her, "She has a couple of bruised ribs and a broken wrist, but other than that she's fine. But that doesn't change the fact that a Marine is dead and that another Marine wife has been attacked. I don't want you to be next." He cradled her chin in his hand, then moved it to wipe away her tears.

"I just want this to be over," she admitted, "I want to feel safe again. I want to sleep next to you every night and wake up to you every morning. I want you to be able to tuck Gibby into bed and deal with her on the mornings the new baby makes me feel sick."

"Then we'll call it over," Jet said, cradling her face and forcing eye contact, "Ari's dead, and the other threats were never followed up on." Lynn shook her head, then froze in terror.

"What if this is the retribution those other men promised?" she breathed in a frightened whisper, "What if they've found me?" She began to panic and Jet had to remind her to breathe.

"All the more reason to get you out of this house," he insisted.

"Jethro," she said firmly, "You can't afford to have distracted investigators, and if Gibby and I show up at that hotel, there'll be some very inattentive agents." She was right, of course, not only would his team be preoccupied with Kate's reappearance, but they would be ticked at him for keeping it a secret.

"I'll call Mary," Lynn said, "and we'll see what she thinks we should do." Inspector Mary Shannon was the Marshal in charge of Kate and Gibby's safety. As far as Jet knew, Mary and Kate hadn't had a conversation since before Gibby was born. He nodded in agreement.

"Daddy, I done!" Gibby called as she came racing into the room. She grabbed his hand and tried to pull him into the family room so he could give his seal of approval. Instead of allowing it, Jet pulled the child up into his arms, to which she responded with a huge hug. Kate turned to find her cell phone while Jet sat down on the recliner, Gibby on his lap.

"Daddy, what's wrong?" she asked, taking in his grim face and the way his hand was stroking her hair.

"Sweetheart, you and Mommy have to go away for a while, and Daddy won't be able to call you at night or come over." She furrowed her brow and her lower lip began to creep under her top row of teeth. She looked so much like her mother in that moment that he couldn't help but smile. She shook her head.

"I don't want to," she insisted, laying her head against his chest. Jet breathed in the scent of her clean hair and wished with all his heart that he didn't have to send her away. He suddenly realized that his little girl was crying. He felt tears in his own eyes as hers began to soak through his shirt. He rocked her gently and when that didn't work, he moved to her bedroom, turning off the lights and turning on the pink star light mobile that she'd had since she was a baby. Slowly, her tears stopped flowing, but only, he realized, because she had drifted into dreamland.

Kate showed up at the door of the room, tear tracks evident on her face as well.

"What did Mary have to say?" he asked gently, reaching for her hand.

"She can get us a room at a motel for a few days," Kate answered, "but I'm not so thrilled with the motel she suggested. I'll be fine there, but I don't want Gibby to have to stay cooped up in there, listening to those sounds for however long this investigation takes. She should go with you." Kate brushed a stray hair off of the sleeping angel's face.

"Are you sure that's what you want?" Jet asked. Kate nodded.

"She'll pick me up in ten minutes. You need to get a bag ready for Gibby and be out of here before she comes." He stood and offered her the chair. As soon as she was seated, he lowered the sleeping three year-old onto her lap. He then went around the room, gathering clothes, toys, movies and books he felt would be needed to entertain his daughter for as long as the investigation might happen to go on. Five minutes later the couple kissed goodbye as their little girl slept in her car seat. Kate gently nudged the girl awake.

"Gabriella," she said gently, "you're going to stay with Daddy for a while. Be good. I love you."

"Love you too, Mommy," Gibby murmured, not even fully awake.

"Stay safe, Katie," Jet commanded, giving her one last peck.

"You too," she admonished. She walked back inside and watched from the window as the car drove away.

"I guess it's just you and me for now, Baby," she said, rubbing a hand down the barely visible bump that was her second child, "Just you and me."

--

"Where is he?" Tony yelled in frustration, slamming his hand against the doorframe of their office at the precinct.

"He has been acting strangely ever since we arrived in New Mexico," Ziva commented, resting a hand on Tony's elbow.

"Strangely?" Tony said, "He's been downright secretive. He's running around to goodness knows where, denying that our best suspect could have done the deed, and demanding that we work harder."

At that moment, Gibbs walked into the precinct, a sleeping bag and pillow tucked under his left arm, and a blanket covered lump in the other. He didn't say a word to any of them as he sat, and, with one arm, unrolled the sleeping bag in the corner of the room. He placed the pillow at one end and gently lay the bundle down, leaving the blanket pulled up over her head to block out the light of the room. Only after he was reassured that Gibby wasn't going to wake up did he turn to Tony.

"Where have you been, Boss?" the Senior Field Agent asked, angrily. Gibbs glared at him and motioned for him to be quieter.

"She wakes up and I will head slap you into next week, got it, Tony?" he threatened, "As for where I've been, not that it is any of your business, I was meeting with a potential next victim, making sure that she was safe."

"So keeping her safe means bringing her here?" Ziva asked, nodding toward the sleeping child.

"Nope, because that's not our witness. But, bringing her daughter here will keep our witness sane."

"Boss," Tony argued, "We don't even have a suspect yet, how can you possibly know who his next victim is?" Gibbs ignored him. Instead, the silver haired man strode over to McGee.

"I need some files from '04," he said, "Number 03252004-T23C." McGee typed away at the keyboard, glad to finally have something tangible to do. An alert popped up on screen.

"We'll need a password to access these files, Boss," he said. Gibbs pushed him aside, motioned for all three to turn around and then typed, hitting enter with a flourish. He found what he was looking for, hit 'Print' and closed the file. He grabbed the papers from the printer and tacked them to the corkboard.

"Four years ago these messages were sent to an NCIS special agent. They appeared first on her car, then at her home," Gibbs explained. Tony stepped close for a better look.

"Messages like these, why didn't we investigate?" he asked.

"It was four years ago, Dinozzo, we were already in the middle of an investigation, couldn't afford to start another one. The agent moved away and the threats stopped. I believe this may be the same guy, and that he's trying to keep his word."

The African American detective who had been working with them on this case strode into the room. He walked over and joined Tony at the board. He hadn't even read the first one when the front doors of the precinct opened, revealing a tall, beautiful blonde.

"Oh, no," Bobby D muttered. Tony took one look and his jaw dropped. She was gorgeous. She was also really angry. She threw open the door and planted her feet.

"Agent Gibbs?" she growled. Ziva, Tony and McGee all pointed to their boss. The blonde glared at the agent.

"I should have known," she said, "Where is she?" Gibbs quirked an eyebrow and acted as if he didn't understand the question.

"Gabriella Jennings," the woman clarified, "Where is she, Agent Gibbs?"

"What in the world makes you think that I would know that?" Gibbs asked, ignoring her stare and resisting the urge to glance toward his daughter.

"Let me think," she asked, "It could be that Lynn told me she'd rather have her little girl stay with a friend than at the motel. She doesn't let that girl out of her sight."

"How would you know?" Gibbs asked, still not raising his voice, "Far as I know, you and Lynn haven't even spoken in going on four years, you have no clue how she chose to raise Gi-Gabriella."

"Call it a hunch," she said, her tone biting.

Meanwhile, Tony had asked Bobby D who their visitor was.

"Her name is Mary Shannon, she's with the Marshal Service. She'll never admit it, but she's WITSEC." Tony nodded in acknowledgement.

"Look, just hand her over," Mary practically yelled at Gibbs, "I'll find them a better hotel if that's what the problem is." Gibbs shook his head.

"That little girl is staying right here," he insisted. Gibbs felt something tug at his pant leg. He looked down to see Gibby staring up at him. She extended her arms and he picked her up. Almost immediately she was sleeping again, her head resting on his shoulder. Mary threw up her hands and stormed out.

Ziva, who had remained silent throughout this exchange, now stepped up and studied the child's face. She had, of course, already recognized the names that were thrown around, but wanted to confirm it for herself.

"Gibbs," she asked, "This is Caitlin Jennings daughter, isn't it?" Gibbs nodded, rubbing a hand down her back.

"Then she was a friend of yours?" she asked, "This former agent?"

"Something like that," he said. Gibby stirred on his shoulder. She woke up just enough to look around before opening her mouth.

"Where's Mommy, Daddy?"

--

_I know it's been a wile, but things are super crazy around here and I've been having issues with my academic advisor and mostly trying to get a life beyond my TV and computer. So, here's the newest segment._


	4. Chapter 4

Gibby, Tony, Ziva and McGee all stared expectantly at Gibbs, who didn't miss a beat.

"She had to go away for a little bit, but she thought you and I might want some special time together," he tried to persuade her.

"She had to go somewhere dangerous didn't she?" Gibby asked.

"Not dangerous," he assured her, rubbing her back gently and guiding her already drooping head down onto his shoulder, "Mommy's safe and so are you." Gibby wrapped her little arms around his neck and held on tight as she fought off sleep. She stared at the agents around her, smiling shyly at Ziva, who she recognized from that afternoon.

"Boss," McGee piped up, having noticed that his computer had finished a search, "You might want to see this."Gibbs nodded and moved so he was looking over Tim's shoulder.

"Close your eyes, Marine," he ordered Gibby, unsure of what would appear. She did so and he nodded to McGee.

"Kevin Fielding, 36 spent thirty months in prison for smashing up his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend's car. Was released six months ago and moved here to Albuquerque a month later. During the investigation the girl claimed her had been stalking her and her best friend, who was apparently the one who had convinced her to break off the relationship."

"Two years?" Tony piped up, "Isn't that a little harsh for property damage?"

"Not if the car is the property of the FBI," McGee shot back, "Turns out both the girlfriend and the new boyfriend work at Quantico."

"Where's the guy live?" Gibbs asked, feeling the moment Gibby slipped back to sleep by the increase in weight he felt.

"There's an address in Cottonwood Heights," McGee said. He rattled it off.

"That's not far from any of the crime scenes," Bobby D commented.

"Half-mile from the first, mile from the second, and only a mile and a half from Caitlin Jennings," McGee confirmed.

"DiNozzo, David, go check it out," Gibbs ordered gruffly. Ziva headed out immediately, but Tony paused in the doorway.

"Boss," he started, "When she said 'Daddy' did she really- ow ow ow!" Gibbs chuckled as Ziva pulled Tony out of the station by his ear.

--

Tony and Ziva climbed the five flights of stairs to their suspects apartment in silence. Tony was still fixated on the appearance of young Gabriella, and Ziva's mind was reeling with what it meant in the context of her conversation with Caitlin.

They finally reached their destination and knocked on the door. They reached for their weapons when it swung open on its own.

"NCIS!" Ziva called out. She motioned with her gun for Tony to sweep the left side of the apartment while she swept the right.

"Kevin Fielding!" Tony called, "Federal Agents!" Ziva stepped into the living room and found a man sitting on the couch, flicking a lighter on and then off, repeatedly.

"Hands on your head!" Ziva ordered.

On. Off.

"Federal Agents! Put your hands on your head!" she tried again.

On. Off.

Ziva lunged at the guy, knocking the lighter out of his hands and forcing them behind his back. It was then that she saw what he'd been watching on TV. Across town, a motel was blazing. There was no word yet on survivors. As the guy looked up adoringly at the footage he spoke.

"Self-righteous little traitor had it coming."

--

_Sorry that it has taken so long, everything got super hectic for a while there and wouldn't you know, my computer overheated and crashed last week and it has taken forever to get it fixed. I should have that by tomorrow, which means more updates, at least during May._


	5. Chapter 5

_I'm warning you now, I'm messing with the timeline a little in this section. I figured, if I can make a dead character alive, married to her boss and mother of his two kids, what's a year or two and three little letters? (you'll see what I mean later)._

_--_

McGee typed rapidly, searching for more information on the case, anything Gibbs could use to nail the guy. Suddenly, he felt a hand on his leg. He looked down and was startled to see little Gabriella Jennings staring up at him.

"Um, hi," he stuttered, unsure of what to do. The little girl just blinked and kept staring.

"I'm, uh, I'm Tim," McGee said.

"I'm Gabby," she finally spoke.

"Nice to meet you," Tim replied. He turned back to his work, thinking the discussion was over. But the little girl pulled herself onto his lap, surprising him. He barely moved as she situated herself, sitting with the back of her head resting against his shoulder, facing the computer screen. Her thumb found its way to her mouth and her other hand played sleepily with the watch on Mcgee's wrist.

"What are you doing?" she asked, talking around her thumb.

"Well, I'm looking up where a man lived so we can find out if he did bad stuff," McGee tried to simplify his work.

"Can you find people on there?" she asked. McGee confirmed that.

"Can you find my mommy?" the little girl's voice was so sorrowful it broke Tim's heart. Out of instinct, he ran a hand across her head.

"I can try," he assured her, "What's your mommy's name?"

"Caitlin Elisabeth Jennings," Gabby said.

"As soon as this search finishes I'll look her up," he promised. He felt her breathing even out and realized that she'd fallen asleep again. He felt so bad for her. He wasn't sure she'd slept for more than an hour at a time tonight, and the noisy environment wasn't helping at all. He dug his mP3 player from his bag and found some classical music. Turning it on low, he placed the headphones on Gabriella's ears. She stirred a little but settled down quickly. The search on Fielding finished and he ran the records for Caitlin Jennings. That search was surprisingly quick and turned up few very records. Tim dug out his cell phone and called Abby.

"Labby," she answered, "What can I do for you today?"

"Abs, I need you to run a records search on one Caitlin Elisabeth Jennings," he said.

"You can't even do that in Albuquerque? Why did they fly you all the way over there and then not-" Tim chuckled in spite of himself.

"I did do a records search, but there was suspiciously little. Nothing over four years old."

"What is she, like a toddler?" Abby joked.

"Considering that she has one, who is currently curled up in my lap, I'm thinking she's a bit older than that."

"You're cuddling?" Abby exclaimed, "How adorable!" Tim heard the distinct sounds of Abby's computer signaling a completed search.

"Oldest document is a rental agreement on an apartment in Albuquerque," Abby confirmed, "Five months later, a birth certificate for one Gabriella Gail Jennings." Tim found the dates on the file he'd opened on his computer and jumped. Partially with recognition and partially because Gibbs had arrived and slapped him hard.

"What did I tell you about investigating the Jennings?" Gibbs asked in an angry whisper.

"Not to, but Boss-" McGee cringed as he got another, lighter slap. The movement woke Gabriella.

"Did you find my mommy, Mr. Tim?" she asked, not seeing Gibbs at first. Both men were speechless.

"Not yet, Gabby, but I will," he assured her. She lay her head back down and closed her eyes.

"I don't know how she keeps doing that," Gibbs commented, "waking up long enough to ask some question then drifting off again. She never takes less than half an hour to fall asleep at home." Tim was surprised, but didn't let it show.

"Boss, I can't help but notice that Gabriella was born the day you retired," he said. Gibbs smiled and let himself remember that day.

--

_FLASHBACK_

_His face was still red from the explosion, he hadn't had a chance to fix the bad haircut he'd frantically given himself in the hospital bathroom, but here he was, standing outside her apartment building, closer than he'd been to his wife in six long months. He knocked and she answered. The pair of them stood transfixed, each one surprised. She by the fact that he was there and he by the fact that she was very pregnant. A moment later she grimaced in pain. It was enough to break the spell and he dropped his bag to support her._

"_How far apart are they?" he asked, not the romantic first words he had been planning, but they were practical._

"_That one was seven minutes, I'm just waiting for my friend to take me to the hospital. Well, actually, she's my marshal and I'm pretty sure she's forgotten. How did you find me?" Gibbs chuckled at her seemingly harsh tone. Kate sighed._

"_Sorry, that came out wrong. I didn't mean to sound like-" Gibbs leaned in and kissed her._

"_How about we start over," he suggested "Hey Katie, I missed you." Kate melted into his embrace, tears soaking his jacket._

"_I missed you too, Jethro," she choked, "What do you say we go meet our baby?"_

_He had called a cab and they had rushed to the hospital. During the ensuing hours they talked about everything from Tony's latest tricks to the day Kate had first felt the baby kick. Then it had been time. Gibbs had tears in his eyes as he cut the umbilical cord. The grief over Shannon and Kelly still felt so raw and yet he loved Kate and their baby so much._

"_She's beautiful," he whispered, "Have you thought of a name?" _

"_Gabriella," Kate admitted, "Since Gibby isn't really a nickname for anything, I figured I'd come close and make up a story."_

"_And for a middle name?" he asked._

"_Gail, after Abby. I figured that, when this is all over and she can finally be a Gibbs, she'd probably prefer it if her initials didn't spell GAG." Gibbs chuckled at that._

"_That's my girl, thinks of everything," he said proudly. Gabriella began to fuss for her mother. At that moment, as he watched his wife feed their baby girl, he knew that he'd made the right choice in leaving NCIS._

_--_

"Boss?" Gibbs pulled himself out of his reverie and forced himself to focus on McGee.

"Come again?" he asked. McGee set his phone back on the table.

"That was Ziva," the younger agent said, "She and Tony are headed out to some motel fire. They've got our guy, and they think he was involved." It would have been hard to miss the way Gibbs tensed at that statement. He ran a hand over Gabby's head, as if to reassure himself that she was safe.

"What do you want me to do?" McGee asked.

"Stay here with Gabby, I'll be back," he ordered. Gibbs dashed from the building and into his car. He drove more recklessly than he ever had in his life, somehow knowing that the seemingly random motel fire was endangering the life of his wife and unborn child.

He screeched into the parking lot of the still blazing motel, scanning the crowd. Gibbs saw Mary Shannon doing the same, confirming his suspicions. He raced up to the marshal.

"What room was she in?" he barked. Mary rolled her eyes.

"Room 23," she said, "But the fire crews said it was clear."

"You go that way, I'll go this way!" Gibbs ordered as he pointed. Mary opened her mouth as if to put up a fight, but Gibbs was already running.

--

"Remind me why we're risking the wrath of 'Daddy' Gibbs by coming out here instead of taking Sparky back to the station?" Tony complained as he stepped out of the car.

Ziva simply shot him an irritated glare.

"I mean really, you don't think that-" Tony's irritated rant ended abruptly and his face paled. Ziva followed the direction of his gaze to the crowd of motel guests huddled in a mass. They were people from all walks of life, in various stages of dress and sleep, but one stood out from the rest. She was dressed in black sweatpants and a gray sweatshirt. Her long, dark hair was pulled into a ponytail that had obviously been slept in, as tendrils blew in her face, crossing in front of large, dark eyes open wide with the look of a deer in headlights. She was staring at Tony and he at her.

"Kate," Tony whispered, slowly heading toward her. She froze, looking like she wanted nothing more in that moment than to run away. When it looked like she was about to run Tony sped up. He grabbed her arm and pulled her around to face him. She hung her head and tried to slip away, but Tony held her tight. He tipped her chin up so he could look into her eyes. He studied the scar on her forehead, nearly hidden by her hair, where Ari's bullet had grazed and stunned her on that rooftop. He hugged her, tears in his eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Kate asked, fearful. Her eyes scanned the area, pausing on Ziva and the car, widening when she saw the occupant in the backseat. She tried to pull away from Tony.

"Kate, Kate," Tony insisted quickly, "He's cuffed. He can't hurt you." Kate stopped struggling again.

"Tony, let go of me," she ordered calmly. Tony paused, as if considering, and then released her.

"Kate, you're supposed to be dead!" he said, finally smiling.

"Nice to see you too, Tony," she deadpanned, feeling only slightly more relaxed. Tony hugged her again, joyously this time. Mary Shannon chose that moment to arrive. She grabbed Kate by the shoulder and pulled her away, glaring at Tony the whole time. Mary was about to push her into the car when Kate suddenly yanked her arm out of Mary's grip.

"Where do you think you're taking me?" she asked, indignant. Mary didn't skip a beat.

"I don't know, maybe somewhere where there's not a bull's eye on your back," the marshal spat, trying again to grab her. As she did, Gibbs rounded the corner and broke into a sprint. Moments later he had Kate tucked protectively at his side. Tony stepped between Mary and the couple, effectively forming a protective barrier between marshal and witness. Mary threw up her hands then pulled a card from her pocket.

"If you want to opt out, that's up to you," she said, handing it to Kate. The brunette looked up into Gibbs's eyes, questioning.

"If you're sure you're ready for that, Katie," he said, trying desperately not to influence her decision. She bit her bottom lip. He saw her question.

"Come home, Katie," he whispered, hugging her and planting a kiss in her hair. She nodded, took the card and signed it. Mary sat in her car and slammed the door. As she drove off, Tony let out a holler and grabbed Kate in a big bear hug.

"You owe me an explanation," Tony said. He had no time to brace for the slap he received to the back of the head. Unfortunately, neither did Kate and the shock of the blow knocked Tony's forehead against hers.

"Ow, Boss!"

"Jet!" they exclaimed simultaneously.

"DiNozzo, David get back to the station. Agent Todd will be coming with me." Tony and Ziva walked back to the car and drove off. As soon as they were out of the parking lot Gibbs gathered Kate into his arms. She was sobbing tears of joy and relief and he felt his own eyes begin to water.

"Come on, let's go tell Gibby the news," he said. They walked to the car together and drove downtown.

--

McGee looked up from his computer as Tony and Ziva frog marched the suspect into the interrogation. Gabby slept soundly on, her head tucked against his neck. Tony shoved the man into the tiny room and Ziva slammed the door.

"You got anything, McSitter?" Tony asked.

"Nothing useful. Except that Caitlin Jennings is likely a protected witness." When Tony didn't look surprised, McGee asked how he knew that.

Tony had no time to answer. At that precise moment, the suspect grew very agitated and started pounding on the one-way mirror. Ziva dashed into the interrogation room with Tony hot on her heels. Surprisingly, Gabby slept on, thanks in part to the music and in part to her utter exhaustion. McGee watched as Ziva subdued the prisoner and spoke to him in what was clearly an angry manner. Tony winced as Ziva forced the man back into the chair.

"Mommy!" McGee jumped as Gabby woke and pointed over his shoulder. She got up and practically jumped up and down on his legs. Then she slipped off of his lap and took off across the station before he could stop her. McGee turned around and froze. He watched in silence as Gabby flew at the brunette woman who had just walked in the front door. Kate knelt down and scooped the three year-old into a hug. Mother and daughter held on to each other for dear life. McGee watched as they held a conversation which led to a very excited little girl. Gibbs walked in the front door and Gabby flew at him. He picked her up, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, placing a sweet kiss on his cheek. Gibbs leaned down and whispered to Kate, pointing toward McGee. She laughed.

"Mr. Tim! We get to go live with my daddy!" the little girl exclaimed. Gibb smiled and Kate beamed. McGee finally found a voice.

"Kate, why? How? When?" he stuttered.

Kate leaned in and hugged him.

"It is a long story that I will tell once we all get back to D.C." she said. Gabby wiggled down and ran around the room, excitedly chattering away. Until she ran straight into Tony's legs. Suddenly, she stopped, and shyly studied the floor. Her hand came up to twirl the end of a braid. Gibbs chuckled and Kate shook her head, amused.

"Hey there, Little Lady," Tony said, crouching down to eye level. Gabby smiled timidly then ran back to her father's side.

"What's up with you, Gibby?" he asked, "You aren't afraid are you?" The little one shook her head but still avoided looking at Tony.

"You know, your Uncle Tony over there was your mommy's best friend for a couple years," he stage whispered. Gabby pulled back to assess her father's seriousness. She shook her head playfully as a smile bloomed, this one something of a smirk. Gibbs nodded and flashed her a nearly identical half-smile.

Ziva marched out of the interrogation room a paper in hand. She slammed it down next to McGee.

"This man defines idiot and psychotic crusader," she said, not paying attention to Gabby in her father's arms. Gibbs set his daughter down and nudged her toward her mother. A knowing look passed between husband and wife and Kate walked Gabby out of the room. Gibbs motioned for Ziva to continue.

"This man was dumped by his girlfriend, but instead of going after her, he goes after the best friend who advised her to break off the relationship. Even then, he goes after her friends first. He didn't touch her or her daughter. Until he set the hotel fire, of course." Gibbs considered this for a moment.

"He was using scare tactics," Gibbs said, "Trying to scare the ex-girlfriend by going after Kate, and scared Kate by going after others around her." Tony, Ziva and McGee considered this and nodded.

"Well, either way, we have his confession," Gibbs said, motioning for Kate to join him, "What's say we get out of here?"

--

_Thank you for your patience, this one is swiftly coming to a close (maybe two more chapters). Anyone with ideas, I'd be glad to hear them. (except baby names I've got that covered) ;)_


	6. Chapter 6

_Thanks for all of your encouraging reviews. Every story that I write is special to me and this one is no exception. I'm not really sure how to finish this one, but I'll give it a shot. Enjoy these next few moments!_

_--_

Ducky stood in the bullpen, pacing anxiously as he awaited the 'surprise' Gibbs had called him about. He turned as the elevator dinged, signaling the arrival of the team. He stood in pure amazement as a little bundle of energy came dashing at him.

"Duck Duck!" Gabby exclaimed as she leaped into his arms. Ducky smiled and hugged her.

"Gabriella, darling, so good to see you!" he said.

"Guess what, Duck Duck?" Gabby yelled. She didn't give Ducky time to say a word before she blurted out that she and her mommy were moving to Washington to live with her daddy. It was at this point that Ducky looked up to see Kate standing next to Gibbs, tucked under his arm. He met her gaze and smiled, waving her over. He shifted Gabby and pulled Kate into a one armed hug.

"Welcome home, Caitlin," he said. Gabby moved to get down, but Ducky misinterpreted the action and tried to hand her to Kate.

"I'm too big for Mommy to carry now," Gabby said. Ducky looked between mother and daughter, trying to comprehend Gabby's statement.

"What she means to say," Kate started to explain, "Is that she's too big for me to carry _right now_."

"'Cause she's gotta carry my baby sibing," Gabby said, shocking everyone in the bullpen. Ducky set Gabby on the floor before pulling Kate into a full hug.

--

Abby was in her own world, waiting for some tests to finish running when, all of a sudden, her music stopped playing. Abby paused, looking up, but not seeing anyone around she figured it was a problem with the CD player and went over to check it out. She grew confused when nothing seemed amiss. Looking around, she spotted the corner of a pink blanket peeking out from under her desk. She knelt down and looked past her chair to see a little girl's grinning face giggling back at her. Startled, Abby jumped back, falling and hitting her head on the file cabinet.

Abby came to moments later to find the little girl sitting by her head, a thumb in her mouth and a concerned look on her delicate features.

"Hi," Abby groaned a little as she sat up.

"Hi," the little girl chirped. Abby moved to stand up, but the girl wouldn't let her. She crawled onto Abby's lap, face to face with the forensic scientist. The blanket dropped as the little one ran her hands along Abby's head, checking for bumps. When she found none, the child slipped off of her lap and nodded, giving Abby the all clear.

"Thanks," Abby said, rising to her feet, "Now, what was I doing?" She looked to the little girl, who shrugged her shoulders and raised her hands, palms up, to shoulder height. Abby giggled.

"You're adorable," she said. The computer signaled that Abby's results were ready. The little girl followed, blanket tucked firmly underneath her arm.

"Interested?" Abby asked. The little girl's blue eyes lit up and she nodded, braids flying. Abby picked her up under the arms and set her on the chair next to her.

"I'm Abby," the scientist said.

"I'm Gabby," the little one chirped.

"You know, I feel like we're going to get along well."

--

Two pairs of eyes watched from the doorway as Abby and her young namesake got acquainted. Gibbs nudged Kate into the room, but she shook her head, tugging on his arm for him to join them. He pulled free. Kate glared again before walking up behind Gabby and hugging her.

"What are you doing, Baby Girl?" Kate asked, placing a kiss on the top of her head.

"Helping Abby," she said. Abby turned and screamed. She threw her arms around Kate and hugged her.

"Oh my word!" Abby yelled, "I missed you! I can't believe you're alive! Where have you been?"

"Abby , Abby, slow down and take a breath," Kate giggled, "I missed you too."

"How did you survive?" Abby asked. Kate pulled back her hair to reveal a long scar that ran along the right side of her head.

"A fluke of the wind deflected the bullet, but the FBI wanted to protect me, first from Ari and then from this crazy stalker ex-boyfriend of my best friend," Kate explained, "So, I came to in a room in Bethesda, with Ducky and a couple of Marshals in the room. Ducky interviewed me so he could complete the autopsy photos and paperwork. Then, they escorted me to Albuquerque and gave me a new life there." Gabby tugged at her mother's sleeve.

"Tell her about me, Mama," she whispered. Kate smiled, sliding an arm around her daughter.

"This little one pretty much saved my life during those first few months of witness protection. They told me I was still pregnant after Ducky left." Kate said.

"So she's not the child of some New Mexican Native American stud who rides a Harley into the desert sunset?" Abby asked. Kate mock scowled at Abby while covering Gabby's ears playfully.

"Take a good look at her and you tell me who her daddy is," Kate demanded, guiding Gabby's head up so that Abby could look into her eyes. The forensic scientist stopped for a moment staring deep into the clear blue depths of the three year-old's eyes. Then she jumped back and stared at Kate, her smile blooming as she shook her head in disbelief.

"Kate!" Abby said, throwing her arms around Kate again, this time spinning her around and jumping up and down. There wasn't much that could unsettle her stomach now that she'd passed her first trimester, but the motion was enough to make her want to lose her lunch. She sat down in Abby's chair, waiting for the feeling to pass. Gibbs strode into the room to Kate's side, rubbing her back until she raised her head again.

"Are you okay?" Abby asked. Kate nodded, rubbing her belly.

"Baby number two isn't exactly a daredevil yet," Gibbs explained. Abby squealed and hugged Gibbs.

"This is so exciting!" she said. Gabby nodded vigorously and latched onto Abby as she passed by, wrapping her little arms around Abby's neck. The pair danced around the lab laughing and bonding . Kate and Gibbs watched, hands intertwined, smiling. Kate leaned her head against Gibbs's shoulder and breathed a sigh of relief that she was finally home where she belonged. It may have been a long time coming, but it was well worth the wait.

--

_I'm going to call this one done, but there will undoubtedly be a sequel where I introduce Baby Gibbs #2 (or 3 if you count Kelly). Anyone up for kicking some ideas around with me? I can't promise that I'll devote a ton of time, but it might be nice to co-author for a change of pace. Just let me know! Thanks for reading. CATE_


End file.
